NAVY AIRCRAFT

FIXED-WING AIRCRAFT

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Five operational, one fleet readiness and two Reserve VP
squadrons operate P-3C AIP, BMUP and Update III-configured
aircraft. One VPU and one VQ squadron also operate some
P-3Cs. As of October 2016, 81 P-3Cs were in inventory. Six
NP-3Cs serve as research and development, test and evaluation and oceanographic survey aircraft.

BRIEFING: The EP-3E, a version of the P- 3 Orion, deploys to
intercept, collect, exploit, fuse, identify and disseminate signals intelligence (SIGINT) in support of joint, theater and fleet
commander tasking. The EP-3E crew fuses SIGINT and off-board information and disseminates the data for direct threat
warning, information dominance, battlespace situational
awareness, suppression of enemy air defenses, destruction of
enemy air-defense, anti-air warfare and ASW applications.

The Navy operates the EP-3E land-based electronic-reconnaissance aircraft in one fleet air reconnaissance
squadron based at NAS Whidbey Island. During the early
1990s, the Conversion-in-Lieu-of-Procurement program
converted 12 P-3Cs to an EP-3E Airborne Reconnaissance
Integrated Electronic System II (ARIES II) configuration,
which entered service in 1997. The Sensor System Improvement Program (SSIP) completed the upgrade to the EP-3E’s
communications, collection and data-automation capabilities in January 2004. In 2003, the EP-3E program began the
Joint Airborne SIGINT Architecture Modernization Common
Configuration (JCC) upgrade to incrementally improve SIGINT
sensor system capabilities.

The EP-3E JCC and Task Force Intelligence, Surveillance and
Reconnaissance (TF-ISR) modifications included hardware and
software upgrades that aligned the EP- 3 with the Navy’s cryptologic architecture and bridged the gap between the present
capabilities and future manned/unmanned reconnaissance aircraft and integrated Link 16 mission management capabilities.

In 2007, the EP-3E program implemented an EO/IR system
and ForceNET upgrades to meet emerging TF-ISR requirements.

This effort included installation of an EO/IR turret, improved
international maritime satellite connectivity, additional special signals boxes and line-of-sight wide-band data links for
full-motion video. Because of obsolescence, the EP-3E program
also began to upgrade electronic surveillance measures in 2016.

Twelve operational EP-3E aircraft are being fielded
through the end of 2020.

BRIEFING: The E-6B Mercury provides survivable, reliable
and endurable command, control and communications to U.S.
strategic and nonstrategic nuclear forces, including support in
the submarine communications role — known as TACAMO, for
Take Charge and Move Out — as well as the Airborne National
Command Post (ABNCP) capability for U.S. Strategic Command.

All 16 aircraft completed the conversion from E-6A to E-6B
(ABNCP) by 2003. The E-6B is equipped with a battle staff
compartment and an airborne launch-control system capable of
ground alert/force generation, force management and airborne
launch of Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles.

In November 2009, the E-6B began a SLEP at Tinker Air
Force Base, Okla., to extend the life of the aircraft from its current 27,000 flight hours to 45,000 flight hours. Currently, 14

E-6B aircraft have completed the SLEP program. A follow-on
SLEP program is scheduled to begin in 2018.

Modification programs on the aircraft currently under wayinclude:Utility Trailing Wire Antenna. The program entered FRP inMarch 2012 and achieved IOC in February 2014.